


A Bolt from the Blue

by droosy (orphan_account)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-12 15:39:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4485071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/droosy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lapis reforms on Earth and Amethyst discovers that the two of them have a lot in common.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Amethyst try to relax at home while Pearl and Garnet are off on a mission, but a certain someone has other plans.

“Popcorn!” Steven announced. He brought the bowl up to Amethyst, who was lounging on his bed, head hanging over the side of the mattress. Steven followed her example and lay on his belly facing the TV.

“Ooh, it’s a new episode of _Ghost Wives!_ ” he said.

Amethyst grabbed a handful of popcorn and gave Steven a little peck on the top of his head, complete with an exaggerated _mwah_ sound.

Steven laughed. “What was that for?”

“I dunno,” said Amethyst, shoveling the popcorn into her mouth. “Felt like it.”

Steven giggled again as one of the Wives spoke to the camera about spilling sparkling cider on her husband’s EMF meter.

“Ha, this show is wacked,” said Amethyst.

“This is great! Pearl never lets me stay up to watch the Education Channel,” said Steven. He paused. “…How long did they say they’d be gone?”

“Mmm,” Amethyst grunted. “Not very. They’re responding to some humans’ reports about a ‘sea monster,’ and stuff like that rarely checks out.”

“A sea monster??”

“Steven, I told you, it’s probably nothing,” said Amethyst. “Though if it _was_ nothing, Pearl and Garnet would be back by now.” Steven gasped.

“It’s OK! It’s OK,” said Amethyst. “This means you have more time to party with me! Come on, if Garnet and Pearl were here, they’d just kill our vibe.”

Steven sniffled. “I like Garnet and Pearl.”

“I do too,” said Amethyst. “But don’t you ever get tired of them acting like they’re better than us?”

“They’re really nice to me,” said Steven.

“But they’re always keeping secrets,” Amethyst continued. “Have you noticed that?”

“Like the time Pearl told me they discontinued those wasabi cheese curls just so I would stop eating them,” said Steven.

“Exactly,” said Amethyst. “It’s like, we’re supposed to be a team, guys! We’re not supposed to hide stuff from each other. Just ’cause the two of us aren’t from space doesn’t you can keep us out of the loop.”

“Totally,” Steven agreed. Onscreen, the oldest Ghost Wife broke an expensive stiletto while investigating the weird old mansion on the top of the hill.

“Hey, any idea where we could get more of those wasabi curls?” Amethyst asked.

After a few minutes, there was a commercial break. Amethyst stretched languidly, curling her toes and flexing her arms. She froze as a blinding lick of lightning shot through the sky. Steven couldn’t even count to one-Mississippi before a huge thunderclap nearly shook his teeth loose.

“Whoa! The storm must be really close,” he said after a brief pause. He looked over at Amethyst; her jaw was clamped tight, and the muscles in her neck were straining. Steven frowned. “It’s OK, Amethyst. It’s just thunder.”

Amethyst shook her head briskly, like a wet dog. She scowled. “Yeah, Steven, I know what thunder sounds like. I’ve been on Earth way longer than you have.” She stood and walked over to the window. Hesitant and vaguely apologetic, she glanced back at him before turning her face toward the window. Steven walked over to her side. She was silent, staring at some point on the horizon while the ocean thrashed and churned.

“…Did you hear that?” said Steven.

“More thunder?”

“No,” said Steven, puzzled. “It sounded like… screaming.”

“Huh?”

It was then that Amethyst heard the hundreds of human voices in the distance. The toneless keening grew louder as a cruise ship crashed into view. From far away, it looked like a white monolith—suddenly, a green mass burst forth from the sea and threatened to overtake it.

“It’s the sea monster!” Steven gasped. “…Oh, _no_.”

“What?”

With an uneasy feeling in her stomach, Amethyst realized exactly what they were looking at. From there, it didn’t take her long to recognize the two smaller shapes darting around the green beast. The screams, the thunder, and the waves all coalesced into a loud, undifferentiated drone in Amethyst’s ears. The noise throbbed like a fever.

Briefly, it was broken by a soft little voice. “Amethyst?” said Steven. “Are they gonna be alright?”

The screams surged again, and Amethyst’s vision blurred. “Yes, OK? _Yes,_ ” she snapped. “Everyone’s going to be fine because Garnet and Pearl are so _perfect._ ”

Steven looked at his feet, then back at Amethyst. “…Everyone?”

Before Amethyst could respond, she was blindsided by a flash of light and another roaring wave of sound. She clapped her hands over her ears and ran for the temple door.

“Amethyst, wait!”

“I can’t take all this _yelling!”_ she cried as she dove into her room.

There wasn’t a lot of noise after that.

 

Steven was awakened the next morning by the creak of the screen door. “Amethyst?…” he muttered groggily.

“Steven! Good morning,” said Pearl. “I’m sorry; we didn’t mean to wake you.”

“That’s OK,” Steven yawned as he descended the stairs. “I didn’t even realize I was asleep.”

Pearl stood over the sink, wringing the seawater from her hair. Garnet leaned against the counter.

“Are you guys…all right?” Steven asked.

“Yes,” said Garnet. She paused, watching Pearl dab frantically at her face with a washcloth. “Pearl got wet.”

Pearl groaned in exasperation, but smiled as Steven hugged her. Letting go, she looked around the room. “Where is Amethyst?” she said indignantly. “She was supposed to be watching you.”

“She’s in her room! Don’t be mad,” said Steven. “I think she got scared.”

“Scared?”

“Well…yeah! There was all this lightning, and screaming, and I think it made her upset,” said Steven. “Plus she was probably worried about you two, since Malachite’s really big and powerful! _I_ was worried,” He studied Pearl and Garnet. “But…you guys don’t seem all that hurt.”

Garnet looked away. “She didn’t put up much of a fight.”

Steven opened his mouth to ask Garnet something, but he couldn’t think of the right question. Amethyst’s door opened and she shuffled into the living room with a flat “’Sup?”

 “About time you showed your face!” said Pearl. “Why is Steven telling me that you ditched him last night?”

“Pearl, no!” Steven protested. “I said she was scared!”

“I wasn’t _scared!”_ said Amethyst. “And I didn’t ditch him. You know, he doesn’t always need a babysitter!”

“That’s—I don’t understand how you can be so _irresponsible!”_ shot back Pearl. “Maybe it’s you who needs a babysitter.”

“You didn’t hear? I already _have_ one,” countered Amethyst, pointing at Pearl.

“Oh, of all the—” Pearl snarled.

Garnet separated them. “That’s _enough,_ ” she said. “You two know better than to argue in front of…” She trailed off as she realized that Steven was no longer in the room. Pearl and Amethyst balked.

Garnet activated the door to the temple. “I’ll go looking for him, but I think I know where he is,” she said. “In the meantime, _behave_.” She left. Pearl and Amethyst turned away from each other insolently.

 

Steven wove his way through the gallery of bubbled gems deep within the temple. He recognized his surroundings; still, this was the first time his gem had ever taken him to this part of the temple autonomously. Steven circled the hissing lava pit, studying the branching arteries that lined the chamber as he searched for a bubble he could recognize.

“Laaaapis!” he called. “Here, Lapis Lapis Lapis! LaaaAAAAAAAAH!!!” Garnet had appeared directly in front of him.

“Why are you here, Steven?” she said. It was more of an accusation than a question.

Steven looked at the ground. “Promise you won’t get mad?”

“No,” she said.

“No, as in no, you won’t get mad?” said Steven, sweating.

Garnet stood there, arms crossed.

“Garnet, _please!_ ” he said. “I just wanna see it!”

No response.

“Then you’ve left me no choice,” said Steven huskily. “Time to bring out the big guns.” He immediately fell to his hands and knees. Pounding his fist on the ground melodramatically, he begged, “Please, Garnet, _please!_ Garnet, let me see it! _Garnet!_ ” He looked up at her, trying to make his eyes as big and sad as possible.

Garnet stood still for a while, and Steven wondered if, behind those glasses, she was examining his face. He smiled pleadingly at her, this time in earnest. At length she uttered a terse, noncommittal “OK.”

Steven’s face lit up. “Really??”

Garnet summoned the bubble with Lapis’ gem inside. With a wave of Garnet’s hand, the bubble disappeared, and the blue, tear-shaped stone fell onto Steven’s waiting palm.

Steven stood up carefully. “She’s your responsibility now,” said Garnet, walking away. “Take care of her.”

Steven nodded, and he closed his hand gently over Lapis’ gem.


	2. Sea Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst tells Steven what really happened on the night of the storm.

“Garnet, do you really think this is a good idea?” asked Pearl, even though she knew the answer.

“I’ve had worse,” Garnet said. “Right now, she’s our only source of intel on Homeworld.”

“You aren’t worried that she’ll poison Steven against us?” said Pearl.

“Steven trusts us. And she trusts Steven,” said Garnet. “She’ll be ready to cooperate.”

“Well… if you really think so,” said Pearl, not entirely convinced.

“Am I the only one who remembers that she _stole_ the _ocean_?” Amethyst blurted. “Oh, and what about that cruise ship she attacked? Lapis is straight-up bad news.”

Pearl looked away. “That was _Malachite_ on the ship,” said Garnet firmly. “And she wasn’t attacking it. She was trying to climb it.”

“Wh—” said Amethyst. “Why would she do _that_?…”

 

Steven scaled the stairs to the house, his little purse (purple, shaped like a dog’s head) thumping against his side.

“I mean, _I_ would,” he heard Amethyst say as he reached the door.

“Amethyst, let’s talk about this later,” said Garnet.

“But did you—”

Steven stepped inside the house, cutting Amethyst off. “Uh…hey, guys,” he said.

“Oh! Hello, Steven!” said Pearl. Garnet nodded at him. Amethyst looked away.

“I was just here to see if…if Amethyst wanted to go get some fry bits with me,” said Steven.

Amethyst sighed and turned to him with a perfunctory smile. “Yeah, I could eat,” she said.

 

Steven and Amethyst walked along the beach, eating the evening’s spoils (once Peedee saw them coming, he had placed two cups of bits out on the counter; it was practically a reflex).

“Hey, if Pearl asks, I apologized to you,” said Amethyst.

“OK!” said Steven brightly. “…What for?”

“Man, I dunno… for whatever Pearl’s mad about this time. For ditching you, or whatever.”

“Oh! You don’t have to apologize for that.”

“I know.”

“Sometimes you just get upset,” said Steven sympathetically. “It happens to all of us.”

Amethyst furrowed her brow and looked down at her feet. “Thanks,” she muttered.

Presently, they finished their fries and sat overlooking the ocean. Steven unzipped the outer compartment of his dog purse (which formed the muzzle) and pulled out Lapis’ gem. “There you go,” he said. “I bet you could use some fresh air.”

“Aw, Steven, don’t tell me you’re still carryin’ that thing around,” said Amethyst.

 Steven looked down at the gem. He was uncharacteristically quiet.

“Uh, look, I didn’t mean to—” Amethyst trailed off. “…Steven?”

“The two of us became friends sitting right here, in this exact spot,” he said, rubbing Lapis’ gem with his thumb. “I guess… maybe the ocean is full of bad memories now… We liked it once.” He turned to Amethyst. “She’s taking so long,” he said, teary-eyed.

“Aw, Steven…” said Amethyst. She patted Steven weakly on the shoulder. “Maybe it’s time to let go.”

“Let go?” said Steven. “But she’s going to come back. She has to.”

“I—Not necessarily,” said Amethyst. “I mean…what makes you think she’s gonna come back at all?”

“W–what?” Steven sputtered. “What do you mean?”

“Look, Steven, all I’m sayin’ is… she hates being on earth, and she can’t go back to Homeworld. She’s not welcome anywhere,” Amethyst explained. “Why would she want to reform?”

“Amethyst!” Steven cried. “Don’t _say_ that!”

“Well, what do you _want_ me to say?” Amethyst stood up, and her voice felt sharp in her throat. “I—I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you like Pearl and Garnet did.”

Steven closed his eyes tight, sending a fresh stream of tears down his cheeks. His thumb continued to trace little, desperate circles on the surface of the gem.

“They didn’t have the guts to tell you,” Amethyst continued. “They were going to keep it a secret _._ ” A familiar pain started to pulse between her eyes. “You know _why_ Malachite was out there in the storm? She was trying to get hit by _lightning_.” She felt the sting of tears on her face—why was she crying? “She didn’t want to live anymore. She wanted out.” _Why now?_

“No!” Steven sobbed. “That—it wasn’t her! It was—it was Malachite. Lapis wouldn’t do something like that!”

“Face it, Steven,” said Amethyst, her own voice sounding foreign and foolish in her ears. “There’s nothing here for her.”

Steven looked up at Amethyst plaintively. “… _I’m_ here for her,” he whimpered.

Suddenly, the gemstone gently rose from Steven’s hands, and he uttered an almost-inaudible gasp. Amethyst was thunderstruck.

The gem hovered in the air; after a burst of light, Lapis began to take form. Her hair was now slightly messier. Her black, midriff-bearing top resembled the upper half of an athletic swimsuit; two thick, electric blue stripes ran down either side. The same blue lined her billowy, ankle-length black pants. She turned, almost in slow motion, to face Steven and Amethyst as her feet landed softly on the sand.

“Hi,” she said.

“Uh…hi,” said Amethyst.

“Hi!!” shouted Steven, waving enthusiastically.

 

None of them could think of much more to say.


	3. Pearl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About a month into Lapis' stay with the Crystal Gems, Pearl reflects on the state of her relationships.

Just as Garnet became the de facto captain of the Crystal Gems after Rose’s passing, Pearl had taken on the role of disciplinarian. Amethyst was far too lax, and Garnet was, to be perfectly frank, a pushover when it came to Steven. Pearl always had to be the one to say no to him.

Although her caution was born of her deep love for Steven—she never wanted to let him endanger himself—it didn’t make her very popular. Privately, she worried that Steven perceived her as a killjoy. Amethyst certainly did. She didn’t like it, but what choice did Pearl have? Someone had to be sensible.

And now, with Lapis in the house, the delicate balance of superego and id had finally tipped in favor of the latter. Amethyst adored Lapis’ cheeky, unpredictable behavior, and Garnet, who tended to fall into Amethyst’s chaotic orbit, registered her own distant appreciation. Pearl, meanwhile, braced herself for disaster.

Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she just associated Lapis with catastrophe—not without reason, she reminded herself. Still, it had been nearly a month and Lapis had yet to do worse than scowl or roll her eyes.

“You’re awfully quiet,” said Garnet.

Pearl blinked. “Huh? Oh!” she blurted. “I was just… lost in thought.” She laughed weakly and sat down on the sand next to Garnet.

It was the kind of day that stretched languidly onward, where time seemed suspended in the thick summer air. The sky was clear, and the town was full of bright, flat color. Steven, Amethyst, and Lapis knelt by the water, where they had been for the past few eternal hours. Steven built sandcastles; Lapis built watercastles; Amethyst knocked them down.

It had been a long time since Pearl had seen this side of Amethyst—salty hair Amethyst, squinty smile Amethyst, Amethyst with white foam lapping at her heels. And like the aspects of ancient human gods, this side of Amethyst had its own epithet, though it was far from godly. She was called Beach Butt.

Pearl had first encountered Beach Butt in the days of Rose, when the beach belonged to them. It was a cool blue night in spring, and the water was freezing, but they didn’t mind. Pearl took off her shoes and socks and danced in the surf. Amethyst stood alongside her, arms outstretched, and let wave after wave knock her down. By the time they returned to the temple, her skirt was caked in wet sand, prompting Rose to give Beach Butt her name.

But Gems change, and relationships change. The two of them couldn’t be Beach Butt and Sandy Feet forever. The world needed them to be the Crystal Gems. Steven needed them to be Amethyst and Pearl.

“Ooh, look, I’m Peeeearl,” said Amethyst, jarring Pearl back to the present. Amethyst was showing off her shapeshifting prowess. “I love robots, and I know what taxes are!”

“Ha! That is _so_ Pearl,” said Steven.

Garnet glanced over at Pearl, who grimaced and said, “Yes, that’s a good one, Amethyst.” Garnet patted her gently on the back.

“Oh! Now do Garnet!” said Lapis.

Amethyst complied. “I’m Garnet, y’all!” she said, not even attempting an accent. “Pip pip, cheerio!”

Lapis laughed. “That’s a really good Garnet.”

Garnet crossed her arms. “That sounds nothing like me.”

Amethyst, Lapis, and Steven looked at each other, and, after a beat, broke into a chorus of _that sounds nothing like me._

Garnet smirked. “Better…”

They returned to their games as Pearl and Garnet watched from afar.

“She’s acclimating well,” said Pearl.

“Yes,” said Garnet, a grin spreading across her face. “Swimmingly.”

“Oh! Oh, Garnet, you’re _incorrigible!”_ guffawed Pearl. She never knew quite how hard to laugh; she always seemed to overdo it.

“That’s me,” said Garnet, adjusting her glasses.

Pearl sighed. “So I guess the next step is joining us on missions,” she said hesitantly. “…Right?”

Garnet frowned. “What would make you think that?”

“I—Well… you said that she’s already told us everything she knows about Homeworld.”

“She has,” said Garnet. “But she can still be an asset.”

“But if she has no further intel, and she’s not ready for missions, I don’t see how that’s—” Pearl stopped herself. “I’m sorry; I just don’t understand why we’re… well, why we’re keeping her around.”

Garnet took a deep breath. “We could use an ally, Pearl,” she said. “And they could use a friend.”

Pearl looked over at Steven and Amethyst as they played in the waves with Lapis. “…Aren’t we their friends?” said Pearl softly.

“We are,” replied Garnet. “But we are also caretakers, teammates, mentors… and unfortunately, these roles can come into conflict.”

Pearl looked down. “That’s true,” she said.

“We can’t be everything to them,” said Garnet, with a hint of remorse. She put her hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “He still needs you. And she still needs you too.”

Pearl understood.


	4. Under the Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis reveals the reason for her change of heart.

It was another lazy summer day—the rainy kind, where everything outside the house sort of melted into a grey blur. Lapis, Amethyst, and Steven were lounging inside the blanket fort that they built the last time it rained, a week ago—none of them had bothered to dismantle it since then. Amethyst was trying to nap; Lapis was watching her try to nap. Steven was reading a dog-eared copy of _1,001 Breakfast Jokes for Kids_.

“Oh! Lapis! I’ve got a good one for you!” said Steven. “OK, so, there are these two muffins, and they’re baking in an oven. One muffin turns to the other and says, ‘Man, it sure is hot in here!’ And you know what the other muffin says?”

Lapis looked at Steven expectantly.                                    

“It says:” Steven concluded, standing up to deliver the punch line, “‘Holy cow, a talking muffin!!’”

Lapis blinked, then broke into laughter. “Ha! Oh, wow! OK, then what happened?”

“What?”

“It—Weren’t you there? What did they do next?”

“Huh? Lapis, it’s not a real story,” Steven said. He frowned. “…Didn’t you get it?”

“I—well, I’m not sure,” said Lapis. “It had some funny words in it, but I don’t know why you’d tell me about something that never even happened.”

“That’s what a joke is, Lapis,” explained Amethyst. “It’s like a lie, but you say it in a stupid voice.”

 “Huh,” said Lapis. “I guess I don’t understand your humor as well as I thought I did.” She closed her eyes solemnly and, with a sober expression, cupped a hand under her arm to produce a very dramatic farting sound. It was quite the virtuoso performance.

Lapis smirked uncontrollably at her own handiwork, and when Steven and Amethyst started laughing, she joined in.

“Whoa, Lapis, that was _solid!_ ” said Amethyst, raising her hand for a high five. Lapis, unfamiliar with the concept, mirrored Amethyst’s pose, but didn’t attempt to make contact. She just held out her upraised palm until Amethyst, bewildered, lowered her hand, a gesture Lapis also copied.

Amethyst cleared her throat. Lapis just tilted her head and smiled.

“I can always count on ploot noises to make you laugh,” said Lapis (ostensibly to Steven, but she was still smiling at Amethyst).

“Uh—” stammered Amethyst. “That reminds me of another one.” Amethyst proffered her hand once more. “Pull my finger.”

“A riddle!” said Lapis, reaching toward Amethyst.

“Haha, oh boy,” said Steven. “This is gonna be great!”

“Why? What happens?” asked Lapis cheerfully as she pulled Amethyst’s finger.

 

“Oh, Steven!” Pearl sang as she poked her head inside the fort. “It’s time for your armored combat lesson!”

“Aww, _Pearl!”_ Steven protested. “I don’t wanna do _anything_ today. Look how gross it is outside!”

“It’s not gross in the arena,” said Pearl. “Come along. We have a schedule, you know.”

“You should go, Steven,” said Lapis. “We’ll still be here when you get back.”

Pearl, who was not used to Lapis taking her side, made sincere and grateful eye contact. _“Thank_ you, Lapis!” she beamed.

“All right, all right,” mumbled Lapis. “Calm yourself.”

Affronted, Pearl sucked her teeth and glanced pointedly at Amethyst, who gave her a blithe shrug. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Pearl took Steven’s hand. “It reeks in here,” she said, and the two of them left.

Once Pearl was out of earshot, Lapis and Amethyst burst into laughter. “Oh man,” said Lapis. “Oh—oh no, was I too mean to her? I think I might have been.” Regardless, she was still laughing.

“You should put sand crabs in her hair,” said Amethyst. “That’d be hilarious.”

“It was all those other times!” Lapis agreed. “No, but seriously, I think—I feel like I should apologize. I don’t want her to keep being mad at me.”

“Eh. It’s Pearl. She’s always cheesed about something,” said Amethyst. “C’mon. Why do you even care if she likes you?”

“Well… because she’s important to Steven,” said Lapis, rubbing her shoulders. “I mean, I don’t really like her, but Steven says she’s great, so how bad can she really be? I trust him.” She looked up at Amethyst with a tiny smile. “He’s got good taste.”

 Amethyst blushed. For a few long seconds, Lapis and Amethyst just looked at each other, their noses only inches apart, until Lapis’ face crumpled with laughter. Amethyst joined in, mostly out of relief.

“Amethyst, your _face!”_ hooted Lapis. She laughed so hard she snorted. The sound took her by surprise; she yelped and covered her mouth. She continued to laugh through her fingers.

“Hey, all right, Señor Snort is back!” teased Amethyst. _“Te extrañé, Señor.”_

“Shut up!” Lapis giggled. Another peal of laughter escaped her stomach, and she snorted again. “No! See? When you talk about it, it just gets worse!” Another snort.

“Haha! Ah, man, you are in rare form today,” said Amethyst.

“Stop!!” Lapis snorted. It went on like this for a while.

“OK, OK,” said Lapis finally. “No more laughing.” She waved her hand down her face, assuming a stern expression. _“Serious.”_ She was able to maintain her composure for a whopping two seconds, at which point a ridiculous grin crept across her face. She snickered quietly at herself, and Amethyst followed suit.

After a much-needed exhale, both of them calmed down, and the only sound for a minute was the slowing patter of the rain. Amethyst drummed her fingers absent-mindedly on her knees, inaudibly beatboxing an imagined percussion solo. Lapis nodded her head slowly at nothing in particular. Amethyst glanced at her, and Lapis gave her a tight smile before turning away. Amethyst clasped her hands in her lap and took a deep breath.

 “Yo, Lapis?” she said. “Can I ask you kind of a weird question?”

“That wasn’t very weird,” Lapis replied, grinning.

“Hah! No, it’s…” said Amethyst. “I was—I guess I’m just wondering why you seem so… _cool_ with all of this. With us.”

Lapis glanced away and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I mean—” continued Amethyst. “You were… trapped for so long, and I—I dunno… I thought you were still mad at us.”

Lapis stretched her arms. “You’re wondering why no one is drowning right now,” she said.

Amethyst chuckled humorlessly. “Pretty much.”

Lapis inhaled. “There’s just been a lot on my mind since regenerating. When I was—before, I could only focus on keeping myself…” She shook her head.

Amethyst almost reached out to pat her on the shoulder, to tousle her hair, to do _something,_ before Lapis found her voice again. “…But then, when we came apart, it was like all the noise just fell away and I could think again, and—

“And I thought about all that time I spent in the mirror… how during the longest years, I started believing that, I don’t know, maybe I deserved it,” said Lapis. “Because it’s a really scary thought to think that anyone would do something that terrible without a good reason.

“But you wanna know a secret?” Lapis continued. Amethyst nodded, almost imperceptibly. Lapis leaned toward her until their foreheads almost touched.  
“There is _never_ a good reason,” she said. “It took me a while to realize, but there is _nothing_ that could justify hurting someone like that.

“And what I’ve only just figured out is… is that what I did wasn’t justified either. So we’re both—we all deserve an apology.”

During conversations like these, Amethyst would usually pick an interesting object or a point on the floor to stare at. But this time, unlike all the others, she felt compelled to meet Lapis’ eyes. They were deep blue, like Amethyst’s, but somehow brighter. They were shining.

“…I don’t know,” said Lapis. “Did any of that make sense?”

Amethyst swallowed. “No, totally,” she said. “A lot of sense, actually.”

Lapis smiled—barely, yet dimples still appeared on her cheeks. Amethyst looked down at her hands again. She felt a strange buzzy feeling in her stomach, and suddenly she needed to get closer.

Trembling, Amethyst brushed the back of Lapis’ hand with her knuckles. Lapis looked at Amethyst’s cupped, waiting palm; she slowly brought her other hand toward it. Their middle fingers touched, and Amethyst felt like a kettle full of steam.

Lapis smiled and proceeded to squeeze Amethyst’s finger with an exaggerated farting sound.

“Got you!” she chirped. She stood up and made her way to the exit. “Hey, the rain stopped! Let’s go find some ugly driftwood.” She smiled over her shoulder at Amethyst, who hoped she wasn’t blushing too hard.

“Uh, with you in a minute,” said Amethyst, and she watched Lapis leave. She lay down on the floor of the blanket fort.

“She got me,” Amethyst muttered.


	5. Funky Flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven sets Lapis and Amethyst up on a date. Fluff ensues.

Amethyst was sitting at the kitchen counter when Steven walked in, reading the Sunday comics. “Hey, Steeb,” she said. “You got my crullers?”

“Yes, indeed!” said Steven, brandishing his greasy paper bag from the Big Donut triumphantly. “They’re the crulliest!”

“Niiiice,” said Amethyst. Steven sat down next to her, and she nudged the comics toward him so he could read them.

Amethyst pulled three crullers from the bag. She ate two and wrapped the third one in a napkin.

“Napkin-cruller sandwich?” asked Steven. “I can dig it.”

“Pssh, no,” said Amethyst. “I’m saving this for Lapis, for when we throw stuff at birds.”

“You never share your food!…” Steven gasped. “Oh my gosh! You _like_ her!”

“Yep,” said Amethyst.

“No need to put up that tough-guy exterior, Amethyst. I can tell you—” Steven paused. “Wait, did you just say ‘yep?’”

“Yup,” said Amethyst.

“Oh! OK! Well, now that _that_ conflict’s out of the way,” said Steven. “How are you going to ask her out?”

“Ask her out of _what?”_ said Amethyst.

“Well, when you like somebody, usually the next step is to take her on a date!”

Amethyst scoffed. “Is that the rule?”

“You should take her to a restaurant,” said Steven, starting to pace around the floor. “If only you weren’t banned from The Crab Shack. Or The Big Donut. Or Fish Stew Pizza, for the second time.”

“Look, I appreciate your enthusiasm, dude, but I think I’m just gonna let this thing happen organically. That’s more my steez.”

“Oh,” said Steven. “…How long will that take?”

“Not long,” said Amethyst. “Three, four hundred years, tops.”

“Whaaaaaat??” cried Steven. _“Amethyst!!”_

 _“Steven!!”_ Amethyst mimicked. “Look, if you want to ask her out for me, be my guest.”

Steven paused. “…OK!” He ran out the front door.

“What? Steven, wait!!” Amethyst yelled after him. She leaned back on the counter. “…Eh. Whatever.”

 

“What exactly is a ‘date?’” said Lapis. She traced swirling organic shapes in the wet sand with her finger.

“It’s like… a way to try out a different kind of relationship,” said Steven. “To see if you would work as a couple.”

“…A couple of what?” said Lapis.

“A couple of people who really, really like each other!” said Steven.

“Huh,” said Lapis, scratching her nose. “…Where did you learn all this stuff?”

“From my dad!” Steven beamed. “He’s like, the third smartest person I know. And the second smartest when it comes to romance!”

“Uh-huh,” said Lapis as she watched the sea foam pool around her wrists. “…And remind me what a ‘dad’ is?”

“Lapis,” said Steven, kneeling down in the sand. “Do you like Amethyst? Really, really like her?”

Lapis looked at him. “…Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then the two of you should go on a date. How’s Saturday sound?”

Lapis smiled. “I’ve always thought it was a good word. I’ll do it.” She patted Steven on the shoulder. Steven smiled back.

“…Wait, oh my gosh, what am I doing?” exclaimed Steven, bolting upright. “I have so much work ahead of me?”

“What—“

“MAKEOVERS!!” yelled Steven. Arms extended victoriously, he sprinted toward the house without another word.

“OK,” said Lapis. “I understand even less now.”

 

“So how formal is a date, anyway?” Amethyst stabbed her pouch of juice with the little straw. “Socks, pants, that kinda thing?” She threw away the straw and held the pouch over her head, squeezing it as if wringing a towel.

“Yes, pants are generally required,” Steven said, in his most helpful voice.

“Laaame,” replied Amethyst.

“Let’s start with your hair,” said Steven, striking a thoughtful pose in front of the mirror. “Have you tried braids?”

“You mean like this?” said Amethyst, transforming her hair into cornrows.

“Hmm. Maybe,” Steven said. “Ha, _Amethyst!_ Stop hitting me with them!” Amethyst laughed.

“OK,” she said. “What about… this?” Her hair briefly returned to its normal state, then twisted itself into a single long fishtail braid that fell over her right shoulder.

Steven gasped. “Ooh! That one.”

Amethyst grinned. “You—you think she’ll like it?”

Steven composed himself long enough to give Amethyst a sage nod. Amethyst snorted and rolled her eyes, smirking.

“And now,” said Steven solemnly, “I work my magic.” He turned the volume on his phone way up, sending upbeat pop music bouncing off the walls.

“Dude, what’s the music for?” Amethyst laughed.

Steven leaned in close. “It’s for the montage,” he whispered.

 

Amethyst tried numerous outfits during said montage, all of which Steven loved, but few of which actually worked. The sequined ball gown was too formal, as was the powder blue tuxedo with the bell-bottomed trousers and the huge lapels. In the opposite category: fishing waders, and one of those weird fleece blankets with sleeves that you can order from television, in leopard print.

Ultimately, they arrived at a compromise between cocktail dress and velvet sweats. Amethyst was to wear a cropped black boatneck, with tight sleeves that stopped just before the thumb. She wore denim leggings and bright white sneakers. She looked like the bad girl under the bleachers in a lousy music video, but in the best possible way.

Lapis, meanwhile, proved more resistant to jump cuts and peppy music. This “makeover” thing seemed like just another inscrutable human ritual to her, but as long as Steven was having fun, she would play along.

After several dozen outfits and about three hundred repeats of the same montage song, Lapis emerged from the changing room (pillow fort) once again. She wore white shorts and a billowy blue top with a halter neck and an empire waist. “What about this outfit?” she said. “Is this OK?”

Steven’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You look like an angel,” he gasped.

“You’ve said that about every outfit!”

“And I meant it each time!” said Steven, wiping his nose with the back of his arm. “But now I _quadruple_ mean it.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s… one more than triple.”

“I know,” said Steven. “’Cause this is serious.”

Lapis grinned. “Clearly.”

Steven rifled through his piles of accessories—mostly plastic barrettes and furry snap bracelets he won at the arcade—and found a white paisley bandana. He tied it around Lapis’ head in the classic Rosie the Riveter style, with the knot forming little bunny ears above her forehead. Steven kissed his fingers like a stereotypical Italian chef. “ _Magnifrique,_ ” he mispronounced. “Now all you need is some footwear.”

Lapis sighed. “Do I have to wear shoes?”

“Yep!” said Steven. “In fact, all around Beach City they have these signs that say ‘No shirt, no shoes, no service.’” He crossed his arms. “I used to think that meant they didn’t _allow_ shirts, shoes, or service,” Steven chuckled nostalgically. “And boy, was I wrong!”

Lapis laughed, and silver sandals formed on her feet. She examined herself in the mirror. “I still look like me, right?” she said softly.

“You look awesome,” said Steven. “And that’s _very_ you.”

Lapis smiled and wrapped her arm around Steven. “Thanks.”

 

Both Gems returned to their usual looks for the rest of the week, as well as their usual routines. Neither Lapis nor Amethyst acknowledged their plans, except to laugh briefly about the absurdity of it all, about the inherent weirdness of human courtship. Then they would go back to collecting beach glass, or practicing their high dives, or whatever they were doing that day. Saturday took both eons and seconds to arrive.

Finally, and all too soon, it was time for their date. Steven insisted that the two meet in the living room to unveil their made-over selves. Lapis and Amethyst, of course, indulged him in his prom-movie whimsy.

When Amethyst left her room that night, she saw Lapis descending the stairs from Steven’s loft. Lapis stopped mid-step to look over at Amethyst, and suddenly they were next to the door, facing each other, as if they had walked there in a trance.

“…Hi,” said Amethyst.

Lapis smiled. “Hi.”


	6. Garnet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a chapter almost as laconic as its namesake, Garnet ponders Amethyst's new relationship.

Amethyst and Lapis were about to leave for their date; both of them were just standing by the door, looking at each other, silently buzzing with hope and apprehension. A sudden bright flash broke the spell.

“Cheese,” said Garnet as she snapped another picture of them with Steven’s phone.

“No, Garnet,” Steven giggled. _“They’re_ supposed to say cheese.”

“But I wanted to say it.”

“What _was_ that?” said Lapis warily.

“It’s a camera!” said Steven. “It… it makes a picture of stuff it sees! So you can remember what it looks like later.”

Lapis was bemused. “Oh,” she said. “That’s… weird.” She put her hand on Amethyst’s shoulder. “Uh, see you guys later.”

“Have a nice time!” said Steven.

Garnet smiled. “You two look great.”

Lapis and Amethyst blushed and rolled their eyes and tried to stifle their giddy, deflecting laughter as they left.

Garnet handed the phone back to Steven. He scrolled through the pictures. “Aw, Garnet, your thumb’s in all of these!” he said. “This one’s not so bad. I can cover it with a sticker. Let’s see, peace sign or hamburger?”

“Use the one that looks like a frog,” said Garnet.

“Of course!” said Steven, slapping his forehead as he walked away. Garnet looked out the window, even though she knew she would be too late to catch a glimpse of Lapis and Amethyst. The dusk had dipped everything in blue ink; the lights in shops and homes were just beginning to stutter awake. Garnet sighed—not out of relief or resignation, but just to feel the breath roll through her.

Garnet was a loving Gem—that much was certain. Most of that love was internally directed, so as to remain stable. Being a closed circuit, therefore, she could rarely divert her energy outward.

Garnet was no Rose Quartz. She couldn’t spare the deep compassion that Amethyst required and deserved. But she could bend the elemental forces to her will, to some extent, and so she used her powers to create a world in which Amethyst could be loved. Garnet was the god of a miniature clockwork universe: rather than intercede directly in personal affairs, she merely set things in motion.

Garnet had done this for Amethyst. She had freed Lapis so that she could help Amethyst where Garnet had been unable.

And she did it for Steven, of course. She could never say no to that face.

Shuddering, she remembered Malachite’s expression when she begged Garnet to end it. She could never say no to that face, either.

 

Presently, Steven joined her by the window. “Whatcha doin’, Garnet?” he said. “Pondering the mysteries of the universe?”

“No,” Garnet said, grinning. “I’ve got it all figured out.”

Steven laughed. He pressed his cheek against the window. “I hope everything works out OK with those guys,” he said.

“It will,” said Garnet.

Steven paused. “…Do you think they’ll be anything like Ruby and Sapphire?”

“No,” said Garnet. “They’ll be like Lapis and Amethyst, ’cause that’s who they are.”

“Hm,” said Steven. He looked up at the dark silver clouds gathering outside the window.

“A new episode of _Paradox Cops_ starts in two minutes,” said Garnet.

Steven gasped. “I’ll make popcorn!”

Garnet ruffled his hair. “You’re a big help, Steven,” she said.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm sorry if there are errors, but I was in a rush to finish this before it was pre-empted by canon. Regardless, please consider this story part of an alternate timeline.


End file.
